Recipe Spotlight: School Garden Salsa

School may be out for the summer, but this salsa recipe is a great healthy snack for your child that is full of flavor.  School Garden Salsa can be made with fresh veggies that you may even be able to find in your garden! The salsa can be eaten with chips, on top of a salad, with chicken or fish, or just on its own as a side. Kids will love to help rinse the vegetables, squeeze the limes, and help mix the salsa together!

School Garden Salsa

 

 

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 can unsalted whole-kernel corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium red onion
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/8 cup lime juice
Baked tortilla chips

Directions:

1.   Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl.

2.   Served with baked tortilla chips.

Gather all your ingredients.

Wash all vegetables thoroughly.

Drain and rinse black beans and corn in a colander.

Combine rinsed black beans and corn into large bowl.

Remove seeds in center of pepper and dice into small pieces.

Chop all vegetables in small pieces similar to the pepper.

Combine all vegetables into bowl along with black beans and corn.

Squeeze lime over all ingredients in bowl.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

 Serve your School Garden Salsa with baked tortilla chips!

Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinners for Busy Parents

Planning family meals can be a challenge when we get busy, but we know that eating together is one of the best ways to eat more healthfully while sharing and caring for each other. How can you make this happen? Try some of these ideas for quick dinners:

Hold Special “Buffet” Nights!

• Host a salad bar, and allow family members to create their own personal salad.  Have large bowls of shredded/torn lettuce for each person to make their own salad. Smaller bowls of add-ins will give each person a chance to customize their own favorites. Diced meat, shredded cheese, cubed tomatoes, sliced sweet peppers—the list is nearly endless! Have a variety of low-fat dressings to top the salad.

 

•  Make Your Own Taco Night is often a hit! Brown low-fat hamburger ahead of time and refrigerate, then set out taco shells, the hamburger, salsa, and shredded lettuce and cheese. Clean-up is quick, too!

 

•  Sandwich Night can be fun when you have a selection of low-fat sliced meats to pick from. Remember the whole grain bread or buns! Rinse some lettuce leaves and slice some tomatoes, then have spreads like mustard and mayonnaise for each person to add to their sandwich. Or, if your kids love peanut butter and jelly, set those out for them to make up their own PB&J sandwiches!

 
How about breakfast for dinner? Mix up a batch of pancakes, brown up some sausage or ham, cut up a big bowl of fresh fruit, and serve breakfast for dinner! Kids love to mix up the foods they eat!  Another breakfast idea might be a cereal or oatmeal bar.  Have different kinds of whole grain cereals available for your kids to choose from.  Include fresh fruits like blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and bananas. 

Slow-cookers aren’t just for winter eating! Soups are a filling meal all year long or mix up a big pot of veggies with chicken and enjoy a steamy stew.  Need a soup idea?  See our previous blog post on One Dish Meals for a quick and easy meal idea the whole family will love!  
 
Another tip: Another great tip to try if you have more time to cook on the weekends is to prepare family meals ahead of time and freeze them. Use the microwave to re-heat the meal when you need it. Chili, lasagna, and casseroles are all great re-heated meals.

Remember to serve low-fat or non-fat milk with your meals and have fruit for dessert. Now, sit back and enjoy some family time!

Family Meals

 

Family meals are a great time to eat healthy foods. Studies have shown that families that eat together often make healthier food choices. By eating together as a family, parents show their children that making good food choices is important. Role modeling good behavior like this sets the stage for children to watch and learn, making them more likely to eat healthfully, too.

We're Too Busy

Many families find that their calendars fill up quickly. Does that sound familiar? You might not be able to eat every meal together as a family, but do eat as many meals together as you can. Consider scheduling some family meals throughout the week. Adding planned family meals to your calendar just like any other family event may make it easier to stick to the schedule.  And if the work week is simply too hectic, then look ahead to your weekend and find some opportunities to eat together. Lunch and a walk on Saturday? Brunch on Sunday? Find what works for your own family.

I Don't Have Time to Cook a Fancy Meal

The meal you eat together doesn’t need to be fancy. How about taco night, where everyone fixes their own taco with bowls of ingredients you set out?  Let the children help by tearing lettuce and filling bowls with their

favorite toppings (cheese, diced tomatoes, chopped onions, etc.) Soup Night with a big slow-cooker full of hearty soup can be the main dish. Save your “fancy meal” for a day when you have plenty of time and helpers!

Does Eating Out Count?

Making meals at home is usually cheaper and healthier than eating out, but if you run out of time and need to eat out together, make the most of it! Use that time to talk about what food choices everyone made and keep making healthy choices (water or low-fat milk instead of soda, skipping dessert, etc).

We're Eating Together, But Now What?

Turn off all electronics if possible! Don’t answer any phones, turn the TV off, and make sure everyone participates in screen free time. Use family meal time as the time when you catch up on each others lives—what was the best thing that happened at school today? Talk about what the children did at recess. What did the children have at school for breakfast and/or lunch? Use family meal time as “together time” and keep it light and happy. Serious discussions can be saved for another time.

Simple Summertime Dinners

It's summertime and the livin' is easy...so the lyrics say.  With the hustle and bustle of summer activities, getting a healthy family dinner on the table sometimes is not that easy.  Beat the heat this summer and save time with these stress-free tips!

Make it Easy
Consider meals that do not take a lot of time to prepare.  Serve a protein with a vegetable and fruit for a healthy and light summer dinner. Prepare your meal outside on the grill where time can be saved on cooking and cleaning up.  Follow recipes like the Vegetable Variety Pack below.  Your children will enjoy helping you prepare meals!   Use your crock-pot or slow cooker for ease in preparing food.  This time saving device will have food ready at the end of the day with little clean up and added heat in your kitchen. 

Make it Fresh 
Hot days call for cool meals.  Use fresh fruits and vegetables in salads, sandwiches, chilled soups, and smoothies.  Visit your local farmers' market or your local grocery for fresh produce.  Invite your youngest family members to choose a new fruit or vegetable for the family to try.  This can be a fun experience for the whole family.

Make it Ahead
When grilling, roasting or using your crock-pot, prepare enough for a second meal to freeze.  This will allow you that "vacation day" from the kitchen. Try to do this as often as you can.  Almost any food can be frozen.  Label the food container with the name  of the food (example: Vegetable Variety Pack), date the container (example  June 29, 2015) and serving portion (example: serves 5).  Writing the name, date, and serving size will help you to use the food in a timely manner.

 Try this healthy veggie side dish this summer!

Vegetable Variety Pack
Serves:  5

Ingredients: 
2 small zucchini, washed and sliced
2 small yellow squash, washed and sliced
4 small potatoes, scrubbed, washed and sliced
1/2 onion, peeled and sliced
1/2 red or green bell pepper, washed, seeded and sliced
1/4 cup light Italian salad dressing

Directions:

1. Preheat oven or grill to 350 degrees.
2. Stir vegetables and dressing together in a large bowl.
3. Spread vegetables in the center of a sheet of aluminum foil.  Bring foil edges together and seal to make a packet.  Individuals packets may also be made.
4. Bake for 20-30 minutes or cook on the grill until veggies are tender.

Focus on Family Meals

What a great way to start the school year off by trying to include family meals in your day.  Family meals help to bring the family together to talk about their day and build lasting relationships.  Family meals can be any meal of the day -- breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Here are a few tips that may help you to plan family meals together!

1.  Get the whole family involved.  Kids love to help in the kitchen so try to include them in preparing dinner.  Kids can help wash fruits and veggies, tear lettuce for a salad, set the table or choose a veggie to eat!
2. Family meals can be quick and simple.  They do not have to be a huge meal, it can be as simple as having a sandwich or tossed salad, your favorite fruit and a glass of milk.
3. Family members are the best role models for children.  Always include fruits and veggies at your table and encourage your children to try them.  When children see you eating fruits and veggies, they are more likely to try them too.
4. Plan meals ahead of time.  Start planning your meals and do the grocery shopping on the weekends.  Write on a calendar what you plan to have for dinner each night.  This will cut down on the time you would spend deciding what to eat when you get home.
5. Turn the T.V. and other electronic devices off.  Do not answer phone calls so that you can focus on your family.  Ask your kids how their day went and if they learned something new.

Family meals can be a great way to spend with your family.  Make a goal to plan a family meal at least once a week.  Tell us some of your ideas for planning family meals!

Food Day -- How Are You Celebrating?

Join the healthy fun on Food Day, October 24^th.  Food Day helps us learn where foods come from and how to make healthy choices, including eating more fresh foods that grow close to home.  Here are some tips on how to celebrate Food Day at home:

 •Drink water instead of sugary drinks like soda or fruit punch.  Water is free to drink and has no calories, sugar or salt.

 • Make time to prepare and enjoy family meals.  Try cooking a new healthy recipe each week. Healthy recipes may be found on the SNAP Recipe Finder or the Eat Smart Recipe Box

 •Buy fruits and vegetables in season.  They are more flavorful and are usually cheaper.  They taste better, cost less, and can be found at your local farmers market or grocery store. Right now, apples, pumpkins, squash, broccoli, and cauliflower are all in season! Farmers' markets are also a great place to get in season fruits and vegetables!

 •Read food labels.  Pay attention to serving size, calories, fat, sugar, and salt.

• Taste new fruits and vegetables with your children. Children need to try a new food many times before they can decide whether they like it or not.  

Food Day events are planned throughout the state of Maryland.  To find an event near you, go to the website and enter your city or area code at: http://www.foodday.org/find_all_events

For more information on Food Day, check out their website:  http://www.foodday.org

Healthy Food Doesn't Have to be Expensive

How do you eat well on a budget?  First, eat at home!  Eating out is expensive and very often restaurant food is high in fat and calories.  Your family will eat so much better around your kitchen table!

You will need 3 main skills to eat meals at home on a budget:

1. Plan meals ahead of time.
2. Purchase food carefully to save money. 
3. Prepare your own foods. 

Planning Meals Ahead of Time
Set aside some time to plan meals for a week.

• Check for sales and coupons in the newspaper and online.
• Look in your refrigerator and cabinets to see what you already have.
• Choose a simple recipe or two to try.
• Plan the meals you will have each day for the coming week. Think about what is on sale, what you have on hand and what your family likes to eat.  Write it down!
• Make a shopping list of the foods that you will need to buy.

Purchase
There are many ways to save money at the grocery store. Here are a few.

•  Buy groceries when you are NOT hungry.
•  If possible, shop alone  (so you can take the time to compare prices). 
• Shop once a week.
• Stick to your list unless you see a bargain that you know you will use.
• Buy store brands -- they are usually cheaper than name brands.
• Buy fruits and vegetables that are "in season".  
• Avoid convenience foods.  They usually will cost more.

Prepare

Take time to learn to cook.

• Start with simple foods and enjoy your success in a great meal!
• Look at cookbooks or online and learn the basics.
• Make double the amount of food that you will need and store some in the freezer for a later date.
• Have your children help in the kitchen.  They will love it, and are more likely to eat foods that thye have helped prepare.

This will be a start to cooking foods at home. For more information on planning healthy meals, shopping tips, cooking and recipe ideas, check out the Eat Smart website or USDA MyPlate Website.